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Today he will probably be elected SVP President – Marcel Dettling is the only candidate for the SVP Presidium. After Marco Chiesa, the academic from the city of Lugano, Dettling, a mountain farmer from the canton of Schwyz, will soon lead the country’s largest party.
Author: Philipp Schrämmli
If you want to visit Marcel Dettling, you have to go to over 1000 meters above sea level. Marcel Dettling lives up there, on the steep street between Unterberg and Oberiberg, with his wife and three children. “I’m at home here,” enthuses Dettling. “In the middle of the mountains, in the heart of Switzerland.”
If you look up the street from the Dettlings’ house, you can see the stable, and a little further up is the parents’ house in which Marcel Dettling and his four siblings grew up. Almost 400 meters away, in which most of Dettling’s life so far has taken place.
Legend: View from Dettling’s house: His parents’ house is around 400 meters away. SRF
At the age of 21, he took over his father’s farm. He currently keeps 22 sheep and 17 dairy cows. Although there are many who don’t buy the fact that he is still in the stable himself. With all his duties as a National Councilor, as a member of the SVP party executive committee, and most recently he was also campaign manager, this is no longer possible. “I hear that often,” says Dettling, “but it’s just not true.”
Outside of the sessions, he does all the work himself, and the children also help out. And for everything else, he hired a young farmer from the region.
Blocher’s performances fascinated him
Dettling became interested in politics as a young boy. “The EEA vote in 1992 gripped me so much that I read everything about it and informed myself,” remembers Dettling. Christoph Blocher’s performances fascinated him and at the same time he was annoyed that the CVP, which was still dominant in the canton of Schwyz at the time, did not oppose joining the EEA.
Legend: Dettling has, among other things, 17 dairy cows and still works as a farmer despite political commitments. SRF
At the age of 17, Dettling was there when the Junge SVP Schwyz was founded. At 27 he became a cantonal councilor, at 35 he became a national councilor, and now, at 43, he became president of the country’s largest party.
Dream candidate Dettling
For many SVP members, Dettling is a dream candidate. A farmer from central Switzerland – that somehow fits the party better than an academic from Lugano. One, like Toni Brunner before. A “possible” guy who likes to say yes – but who also hits the table sometimes, and who is politically very far to the right, on the right edge of the SVP.
People want us to address sensitive issues, which the other parties no longer dare to do.
Even as president, Dettling wants to continue to speak clearly. «People should know what the SVP wants. And that we also address the sensitive issues, which the other parties no longer dare to do,” says Dettling.
Legend: Dettling also wants to speak clearly as SVP President. SRF
This refers to the relationship with the EU and immigration. Dettling wants to focus on these issues as president, or rather: he wants to continue to manage them. Because last fall, when Dettling was campaign manager, the SVP was primarily relying on these two issues – and was successful with them; the SVP was the election winner.
This electoral success, for which he is partly responsible, is no longer so pleasant for him as the future president. “It’s obviously a lot of pressure,” says Dettling. “It would have been easier to take over if we were at our lowest point, then I could only win.”